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January 12
1800s *1884 - In a five-inning game played on ice skates in Brooklyn, Chicago White Stockings ace pitcher Larry Corcoran leads his team of mostly amateurs to a 41–12 win over a team composed of mostly professionals. Corcoran's team was assembled by veteran sportswriter Henry Chadwick. In four days the pros beat Corcoran and another group of amateurs, 16–8. *1887 - The New York Metropolitans (American Association|AA) buys third baseman Dude Esterbrook from the New York Giants (NL). Although the Mets are no longer owned by the Giants' management, the Giants still seem to get the best of every deal between the two clubs. *1893 - National League owners, led by Pittsburgh Pirates manager Al Buckenberger, form the National Cycling Association. They hope to build bicycle tracks in at least eight of the 12 NL parks. 1900s-1940s *1900 - Baltimore Orioles manager John McGraw threatens that if the National League drops the Orioles, which is controlled by the owners of the Brooklyn Superbas, he will form an American League team. Two weeks later the NL Circuit Committee recommends buying out Baltimore, Washington, Cleveland, and Louisville and going to an eight-team league. McGraw then organizes a Baltimore club in the AL. *1903 - Detroit Tigers pitcher Win Mercer, winner of 15 games in 1902, commits suicide by inhaling gas in a San Francisco hotel. Mercer had recently been named the Tigers manager. The Tigers had recently named Mercer their new manager. *1906 - The owners of the Boston Beaneaters reject a $250,000 offer for the team, which is destined to finish last again. *1920 - A plan developed by Charles Ebbets many years ago is finally adopted: the annual drafting of players from the minor leagues will be done in inverse order of the final standings. *1921 - Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis takes over his new role as commissioner of baseball. Landis, who is given wide-ranging powers, replaces the three-man National Commission that had been running the game. *1924 - Outfielder Bobby Veach is sold by the Detroit Tigers to the Boston Red Sox. *1946: **Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams receives his discharge from the U.S. Marine Air Corps after a three-year stint serving in World War II. In spite of the long absence from competitive baseball, Williams will return to the major leagues by hitting .342 with 38 home runs and 123 RBI in 1946. **The first official professional game is played in Venezuela, launching the newly constituted four-team Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Venezuela. The league is composed of four teams: Cervecería Caracas, Magallanes, Vargas and Venezuela. The inaugural game is won by Magallanes over Venezuela, 5–2, behind a strong pitching from Alex Carrasquel, as he gave up 11 hits in a complete game effort. *1949 - The New York Giants are fined $2,000, and their manager Leo Durocher $500, for signing Fred Fitzsimmons as a coach while he was still under contract to the Boston Braves. Fitzsimmons gets a $500 fine and a 30-day spring training suspension. 1950s-1970s *1950 - The New York Yankees sell their Newark Bears franchise to the Chicago Cubs, who will move the team to Springfield, Massachusetts. The once-proud Bears, owned by the Yankees since 1932, finished last in the International League in 1949. *1954 - The International League makes two franchises shifts as the Baltimore, Maryland team is transferred to Richmond, Virginia, and the Springfield, Massachusetts team moves to Havana, Cuba. *1961 - Charlie Grimm and Verlon Walker are named to the Chicago Cubs College of Coaches. Using this system, a different coach will manage the team each month during the season. *1972: **Detroit Tigers owner John Fetzer announces that the Tigers have signed a lease to build a $126 million domed stadium along the river in downtown Detroit. The complex will seat 52,000 for baseball, and 60,000 for football. Lawsuits, a failed bond issue, and the construction of the Silverdome in nearby Pontiac eventually kill the idea. **In the secondary phase of the January draft, P Tom Hume is picked by the Cincinnati Reds, OF Sam Bowen by the Atlanta Braves, IF Duane Kuiper by the Cleveland Indians, and the Boston Red Sox, picking 1,653, take IF Roy Smalley. 1980s *1981 - The Atlanta Braves sign future Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry to a free agent contract. The 42-year-old Perry will be joining his sixth major league team, after splitting the 1980 season between the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. *1982 - In the January draft, the Blue Jays use the #1 pick on OF Kash Beauchamp and the Cubs follow by taking C Troy Afenir. But the Twins, picking third, take OF Kirby Puckett. Meanwhile, the Reds choose P Randy Myers on the first round while the Mets select OF Kal Daniels on the third round. The 433rd pick overall is OF John Cangelosi, taken by the White Sox. *1983 - The Baseball Writers Association of America elects two players to the Hall of Fame: Juan Marichal, the winningest Hispanic American pitcher in major league history, who won 20 or more games six times and had an ERA of 2.50 or less six times, and Brooks Robinson, a winner of 16 straight Gold Gloves and hero of the 1970 World Series, who becomes the 14th player elected in his first year of eligibility. *1984 - Free agent relief ace Goose Gossage leaves the New York Yankees and signs with the San Diego Padres. The hard-throwing right-hander will save 25 games in 1984 and help the Padres to their first appearance in the World Series. *1988 - Former Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Willie Stargell is the only player elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA. Stargell, leader of two World Championships in Pittsburgh and National League-co-MVP in 1979 at age 39, becomes the 17th player to be elected in his first year of eligibility. Pitcher Jim Bunning falls four votes shy of the 321 needed for election in his 13th year on the ballot. 1990s *1991 - The Detroit Tigers obtain catcher Mickey Tettleton from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitcher Jeff Robinson. *1993 - The Giants are bought by Peter Magowan and a local group which promises to keep the team in the San Francisco Bay Area. *1997 - The San Diego Padres acquire the rights to 27-year-old Japanese hard throwing pitcher Hideki Irabu from the Chiba Lotte Marines. Irabu says he only wants to play for the Yankees. *1994 - Steve Carlton, winner of 329 games and four Cy Young Awards, is elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA receiving almost 96% of the vote. Orlando Cepeda falls seven votes short of the 75% required for election. *1999: **Setting an all-time record, the ball that Mark McGwire hit for his 70th home run is sold at an auction for $2.7 million by Guernsey's Auction House in Manhattan. The buyer is later revealed to be Todd McFarlane, creator of the Spawn comic books series. The price tag surpasses the record $126,500 which bought a Babe Ruth home run ball last year. **Two free agent outfielders are signed, Matt Luke by the Angels, and Darren Bragg by the Cardinals. 2000s *2000: **The Milwaukee Brewers obtain pitchers Jaime Navarro and John Snyder from the Chicago White Sox for shortstop José Valentín and pitcher Cal Eldred. Navarro, the majors loss leader (43) the past three seasons, was disgruntled with the Sox. Valentin will compete with Mike Caruso for the SS job. **With Aaron Sele signing with Seattle, the Rangers ink free agent pitcher Darren Oliver to a three-year deal worth $19 million. *2005: **In a news conference at Dodger Stadium, general manager Paul DePodesta announces the team has signed former Red Sox starter Derek Lowe to a $36 million, four-year deal. Lowe, who has the second most win total during the past three years, is the first pitcher to win three deciding decisions in post-season history. **Avoiding salary arbitration, catcher Paul Lo Duca signs a three-year, $18 million deal to remain with the Florida Marlins. Lo Duca]] was acquired by Florida, along with relief pitcher Guillermo Mota and outfielder Juan Encarnación, in a trading deadline blockbuster trade which sent starter Brad Penny, first baseman Hee Seop Choi and pitching prospect Bill Murphy to the Dodgers. *2006 - Free-agent relief pitcher Julián Tavárez agreed a two-year deal with the Boston Red Sox worth $6.7 million. Boston also re-signed free agent infielder Tony Graffanino to a $2.05 million, one-year contract that avoids a salary arbitration hearing. Births *1859 - Nat Hudson, pitcher (d. 1928) *1859 - Ed Swartwood, outfielder (d. 1924) *1860 - Henry Larkin, infielder/outfielder (d. 1942) *1866 - Tom Kinslow, catcher (d. 1901) *1868 - Dan Daub, pitcher (d. 1951) *1872 - Togie Pittinger, pitcher (d. 1909) *1876 - George Browne, outdielder (d. 1920) *1953 - Terry Whitfield, outfielder *1950 - Randy Jones, All-Star pitcher *1960 - Tim Hulett, infielder *1960 - Mike Marshall, All-Star outfielder *1960 - Mike Trujillo, pitcher *1961 - Casey Candaele, infielder *1971 - Andy Fox, infielder/outfielder *1975 - Jorge Velandia, infielder *1977 - Reggie Taylor, outfielder *1978 - Luis Ayala, pitcher *1980 - Bobby Crosby, infielder *1982 - Chris Ray, pitcher *1982 - Dontrelle Willis, All-Star pitcher Deaths *1903 - Win Mercer, pitcher (b. 1874) *1910 - Harry Staley, pitcher (b. 1866) *1938 - Dupee Shaw, pitcher (b. 1859) *1960 - Jimmy Lavender, pitcher (b. 1884) *1986 - Eddie Solomon, pitcher (b. 1951)